General Question

What have you created?

I remember once going up to my mom when I was about 6 or 7 and complaining that everything I thought about had already been thought of. She replied that one of the great things about growing older is that you eventually do begin to think of things that no one else has thought of yet. I have reflected on her answer since then, asking myself how I have been original; if I have brought something into this world; if I can really add something significant to the body of human knowledge.

So, collective: Have you discovered/explained/altered/created/analyzed something totally new, or in a new way? What’s your contribution to our world?

I described a new species of tree snail in the family Bulimulidae from Peru. I also assisted my brother in compiling the history and culture of Svelterland, a small but important country that lies between Sweden and Norway.

@ChazMaz Were you asking me or parroting my last version of my question? At any rate, the only thing I’ve done so far is write an undergrad thesis. It’s a theodicy for the problem of evil (and a pretty snappy one if I do say so myself) – but I went to one of my favorite philosophy prof’s lectures the week before I turned it in, and discovered that he has pretty much thought the whole thing through in the same terms that I have…

@Bobbydavid I’ve been waiting for someone to give such an answer; thanks! Now I get to revel in Derrida’s awesomeness (see The Post Card, trans. Alan Bass). The issue of creation gets really interesting when you offer children as an example, because they are the only thing we can make that can reiterate that creative power. Or perhaps, as Derrida suggests, we might also class the emotions and thoughts that reacting to art stirs up as a similar kind reiteration of the author’s initial creative input – which brings the nature of art itself into question. If art has such a power to change us, might it not be said to generate its own meaning – much as we might say of any child? (This is actually Derrida’s point in The Post Card; he writes to break that power)

I’ve written short stories and am currently writing 2 novellas. I’ve also written some music, most of it pretty simple, including 11 variations on a theme in D and a musical mass setting in C, A minor, and G that lasts about 18 minutes in length. All to be played on solo piano, of course.

I also will have created my own language soon. I’m currently working on it.

I love to take a piece of twisty wood and uncover the creature hidden within. I am annoyed at the moment, I finished a gorgeous (I am modest too) snake bird out of African red mahogany and as I was sanding it, I decapitated it. I pinned and glued it but now will have to paint it and that is sad because it was a spectacular piece of wood, beautiful color and grain.

I often wonder though if anything I do is truly original. It feels as if I borrow a little bit of every carver or artist I have ever admired each time I do something new. I see the work of someone else and it triggers an idea for my next carving. Or I see a bird or a landscape. I am not sure what I can really call my own original creation???

i’m still in the process of that.
specifically, i am creating a tree, and soon, i will learn how to create blueberry pie. (if that last endeavor is successful, fluther can count on some free [and fattening!] virtual goodness)

@wildpotato you know this is exactly what happened to me too! Only I was 4, and it was my dad. I was worried that all the melodies I came up with would have been thought of by the time I was old enough to write them down. Worried about copyrights basically lol
My dad explained that there are so many, practically infinite combinations of notes, that it shouldn’t be something to worry about. It gave me peace of mind for about a decade.

I have written over 700 songs, some of which are included in 8 albums I’ve made. I wrote a book that never came out (and am writing a second one that hopefully will). I’ve made a movie and played in another one. I’ve done hundreds of radio shows over the years. I am also currently playing in my second theatre play, and once again wrote the music for it (I also did that last time round). I’ve also created a sitcom but haven’t started filming yet (will take at least another year anyway).

Besides art, I’ve been pretty good with working wood and made all sorts of pieces of furniture and a huge bed in my place (which my ex wife threw out though) and the one I’m most proud of is a little red house for my daughter for her birthday: it’s on wheels so we can easily move it around.

And of course I hope I’ve created a happy and healthy child, or that she’ll soon be happy and healthy again.

@augustlan – That’s a good idea, I have some copper tubing that I use to make enameled beads, I bet I could crimp a piece of that around it’s neck, would probably look good. I’ll let you know how it goes!

I have created several businesses, wealth for myself and others (who hopefully didn’t destroy theirs as I did mine), I have contributed to the creation of careers, vocations, dreams, expectations, goals for people with potential but no source of inspiration, mostly by removing the mental barriers they had surrounded themselves with, and at the end of the day it’s really what I think allows me to sleep at night and help me tolerate the things I can’t forgive myself for.

I have created several worlds in which to play creatively (no, I’m not insane) and given them to others to use. I have also built a bunch of robots. And then won competitions. The competitions probably aren’t much of a contribution, but I hope that one day the robot overlords will reward me for my devotion.

One day at work I saw the date on the digital display on my phone. It said Mar10. I declared March 10th as Mario Day. So every year on that day, I send my friends a picture of Mario Mario and Luigi Mario.

Other holidays my friends and I have created- Cranchments, and alcohannukah. What’s sad is that we actually celebrate these. Cranchments is a tradition that is going on its 8th year. It’s a huge ordeal.

@evelyns_pet_zebra – When I first made that I gave it to a buddy in my office. 2 days later my brother from another city sent it to me, not knowing I made it. His wife got it from her sister in another state.

Nothing that would be noteworthy to anyone else. Two children I love dearly. A marriage that has it’s troubles. Work for various people and organizations. A little music. A few words. None of it is particularly special, so it would be quite difficult to characterize it as a contribution to the world.

Only really great people make contributions to the world. The rest of us just make ordinary contributions to a few friends, perhaps the community, colleagues and family members. You know, the sort of stuff they mention in eulogies.

Well, in my case, not even that, really. Nothing greater than “he was a decent father to his children, and did the best he could with his marriage.” I’ve not done anything special for the world. Kind of depressing, really, and I’d rather not think about it.

I have created about 80 poems, one of them published when I was 13. I am working now on a creative non-fiction collection. My best achievement is my two brilliant kids who are so talented it blows my mind.

And every day I create memories. Last night we left the house at midnight, drove away from the city and into the land of the bean fields. We parked our car and laid on someone’s farm for an hour stargazing as a family. Some day my children won’t have me around, but I hope they will always have a memory or two.

Confusion. I gave my husband the wrong directions to his new doctor’s office, he wound up at my first oncologist’s office. He called to ask me if I knew more about his health than I did. bad, very bad!

A friend and I are finishing up the artwork & script for a cartoon that we’re going to pitch to a few networks. Although the only real benefit is if it makes people laugh. Otherwise it’s probably just another one of those vulgar and inappropriate things in society. Oh well, I created something at least!

I helped create a community garden in the neighbourhood. It is beginning to be the pride and joy of the estate. We do composting in there as well. Lots of fruit trees and medicinal herbs. The neighbours love it.

I create music like on a daily basis and song lyrics to go with them. Most of the time I will do this as a hobby and just put them on a website for people to hear or make an underground CD. If I so feel the need to or the track is just that hott. I will record to it or have others come in to sing or rap to the music. From there I go to get it on air play which can be very hard to do unless you know somebody who knows somebody.

In the “old days” the USSR was very competitive with the USA, so much so that many Russians would would insist that while a native of some other country might done something, such as discover the structure of DNA or invent the light bulb, the Soviets had actually done it first. And done it better.

One time in the 1970’s I was asked to play ping pong with a student visiting the US from Moscow. When she consistently lost the games she began to insist that Russians invented ping pong so I, as a non-Russian, was cheating.

Hence, all of us saying we have created something, but the USSR saying they had created the process by which everyone else has been able to create leads me to ask if you are Russian.

I am responsible for maxi pads with wings…I sh*t you not. I had already done alot of study in design and was in a mall where they were hitting up women to complete a survey on feminine products and I looked at the girl and said, “you are asking all the wrong questions, is there a place for a comment.” She said yes but they weren’t doing that. And I asked her to take me to her manager which she did. the manager set me up in an office with the comment form and extra paper and I wrote them a detailed arguement for the design of a pad with wings as well as several drawings reflecting what was necessary and why. Six months later they were on the market and I got a years supply for free.
Thank you ladies….thank you very much.
Today I helped a kid devise a 3 dimensional skull out of card stock, foam cups and postal tape. hahaha.
And then I came home and worked on a graphic of the heart chakra that I have in progress.

Today I developed three different graphic pieces of art for several students with limitations to complete. I also worked on a wire sculpture that I’m covering with tissue paper and putting white lights inside as a model for students as to what they can do with the roll of wire that was donated to us. I also completed a dress I was making.

ow metaphysics in the morning my head hurts ;-) (like is maybe time an artificial construct so all moments are actually existing here now so no actually there is nothing new and won’t be or everything is new same difference)
I’m reminded of something Steve Martin wrote somewhere to the effect ...I was a very creative child, daily I would compose masterpieces. One day I thought I achieved perfection, then my parents flushed it.